Akira Toriyama Reveals Android 17/18 Names, Other Mysteries

Exactly one month ago, the face of Goku’s mother, Gine was revealed in a comic by the creator of Dragon Ball himself, Akira Toriyama! Now, in two different Q & A sessions, Toriyama-sensei uncovers a few more mysteries Dragon Ball fans have long pondered! The first is about the Android 17 and 18.

Android 17’s real name is Lapis, while Android 18 is Lazuli. They were human siblings before becoming Androids. After the Cell Saga, Android 17 was revived with the Dragon Balls and became a park ranger at a nature preserve. He makes a great living, marries a zoologist, and adopts two children. Of course, we all know Android 18 marries Krillen after the Cell Saga and has a daughter named Marron.

The second Q & A focuses on Mr. Satan (Hercule), Buu, the Kaiōshin, and a few other pieces of interesting information.

How did Mr. Satan train to become stronger? Did he have someone like a martial-arts master…?

When Mr. Satan was young, he attended a fighting dojo called “Satan Castle”. Through a combination of considerable power and good luck (his rival fighting opponent would get food poisoning, for instance), he quickly became world champion and was called “Mr. Satan” after the name of his dojo. One day, at a bar in South City (where they were on tour), Satan and his martial-arts master made the mistake of making fun of Tao Pai Pai’s hairstyle. His master was killed, and Satan was heavily injured. From then on, Mr. Satan solemnly swore never to fight anyone whose true identity he didn’t know, or anyone who seemed crazy strong.

How did Mr. Satan win the Tenkaichi Budokai when Goku & co. weren’t around? He didn’t cheat, did he…?

No no, Mr. Satan really is strong. On an ordinary human level, that is. If a monstrously strong opponent turned up, he’d pretend he wasn’t feeling well and sit out the match.

Is there anyone else in Mr. Satan’s family besides Videl? It was written that his wife had already died…

There’s only the two of them in their family. But they’ve got loads of servants.

How did Bibidi make Majin Buu? What process was there, what were Buu’s ingredients, etc…

Though in the manga Kaiōshin said that Bibidi made him, the truth is that one called “Buu” was not actually created by Bididi, but has existed since time immemorial. He cycled between rampages and long hibernation. During numerous iterations of this cycle, he absorbed the evil elements of mankind, becoming steadily more violent. Bibidi merely knew the means of calling Buu from out of his long slumber. Since the current Buu is a slightly different life-form due to the changes brought about when the evil Buu was expelled, it’s not known whether he’ll still go into long hibernation.

Majin Buu is invincible, but where does he get his energy from? It can’t be from all that candy he eats, can it…?

He doesn’t particularly need energy. It’s just that he likes candy.
*By the way, since the bad Buu was pure evil, he was easily purified in the afterlife, and was able to be reincarnated as Uub right away.

Please tell us (quietly) the spell that Bibidi left behind in his notebook to seal away Majin Buu.

It’s unpronounceable for humans. Putting it into letters, I guess it’d be something like “Nuwemwittsimwawaay”.

The Kaiōshin are said to have the highest status in the universe, but how can you become a Kaiōshin?

No one can. Kaiōshin are born as Kaiōshin. There are three of them, and they work in shifts. Though there are two of them on duty now, if one of the Kaiōshin were to die in an accident, then the currently-inactive Kaiōshin would grow in the Kaiōshin Realm like a plant. If there aren’t any accidents, then it’s said their lifespans are about 75,000 years.

Who was it that sealed the Elder Kaiōshin away in the Z Sword?

The Kaiōshin (who create planets) and the Gods of Destruction (who destroy them) have never gotten along that well, but once every 1,000 years they go to each other’s realms and hold a coordination meeting. At this time, they got into an argument over some trifling thing, and a certain short-tempered God of Destruction sealed Elder Kaioshin away inside a sword. Naturally, it wouldn’t have been proper for him to destroy the Kaiōshin Realm itself. By the way, that God of Destruction was Beerus.

Krillen and Android 18 live with Marron-chan at Kame House; I want to hear the story about how they came to have such a wonderful relationship!

Sorry, I’m really bad when it comes to romantic stories like this, so I can’t give you a straight answer. But I think that probably
Android 18 (who used to be a delinquent) found Krillen’s seriousness and straightforwardness refreshing, and somehow or other she ended up falling for him.

Vegeta’s got that famous line about a “bargain sale on Super Saiyans”, but does that mean he’s been dragged along to bargain sales by Bulma or Trunks?

As you might expect, he’s never actually been to a bargain sale. Bulma’s super rich after all, so I don’t think there’d be any need for them to go. Most likely he just learned about them from TV news or commercials he happened to watch.

Goku endlessly keeps getting stronger, with Super Saiyan 3 in the manga and Super Saiyan 4 in the anime; does Super Saiyan keep getting limitlessly stronger too? Might we eventually see things such as a Super Saiyan 5…?

Super Saiyan 2 and 3 are nothing more than powered-up variations of Super Saiyan. After the fight with Beerus, Goku realized that mastering his normal state and Super Saiyan would raise his level more and sap less strength, so I think he probably won’t become Super Saiyan 2 or 3 any more.

Who created the Tenkaichi Budokai, and why?

It originated in a festival held since long ago at the temple which now serves as the tournament grounds.